My ideal of 5.1 is not measuring up right now.
Things are hurly-burly right now in Monk-Land®. Not only have I not had internet at work last week due to IT issues [the team always seem to be hitting the server during lunch], and then I took last Thursday day to visit with friends nearby, but crucially, I just popped in the “Vienna” 5.1 DVD and was not hearing the love. I tried the test tone and it was as I suspected. I was hearing 3.1 sound. My rear channel speakers were not firing. Until I can find the time to ascertain why they are not working, I can’t in all honesty, review a 5.1 mix of anything! So it is with heavy heart that I will have to shelve the final portion of this review until such time as I have a working 5.1 rig again. Grrrrrr. In the meantime, I can’t blog today due to other issues. We’ll see where we are tomorrow!
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Post-Punk Monk 
Have you tried kicking it?
(but thanks for the update)
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Have you tried unplugging it, then plugging it back in ?
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Ade.W – I can’t really get to the stereo right now. It’s a long, complicated story which I’m not going into.
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Do you have any blog post about setting up a surround system for music? I have several surround sound music releases, but no system yet. Being that I only have a few 5.1 music mixes and no interest in surround for my movie watching, I like to invest as little as possible. Even if you don’t have such a post, thanks for a great blog!
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Eric Thegardener – Welcome to the comments. Being a cheapskate, I am with you on keeping the costs down on hardware. Given the choice I’d rather spend money in more music. I bought a used 5.1 system from someone on Craigslist [Denon tuner +speakers] for around a hundred dollars. Let someone else drive it off the lot. But as someone who has 5-10 albums in 5.1, I hate sitting in the sweet spot to hear the mix right. If you’re like me and listen to music while doing housework, it could be mono for all the difference it made. But when watching a movie, I will be planted to the couch and it makes a bigger difference for films in that respect. We watch maybe a movie per week and the 5.1 is appreciated more for films.
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Monk, I’ve been greatly anticipating reading your thoughts and emotions regarding the 5.1 Vienna Mix. Rare is it to find anyone who really appreciates music and passes ithat on to others too… I do hope the rear speaker issue can be resolved soon! I will gladly read your write up and hope it will be favorable. I’m an old Ultravox fan, who somehow drifted away from their albums, but my interest in Brilliant, took me back to the Vienna album and beyond… Happy memories of exhilirating times spent lost in the wonder of those sounds, that ONLY Ultravox seem able to create, came back along with the new. Listening to Vienna again, was like a rush that was long overdue . I can only hope that a 5.1 mix does the album justice, in some new way yet to be experienced!? Like others have mentioned, Rage in Eden would surely be on my “must” have list too, being a fitting sequel. I hope you find some encouragment to trouble shoot those rears from my rant ;-) Happy listening and reviewing.
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Hilary – Welcome to the comments! I finally have the 5.1 working at home, but now just need the time and space to play the disc and report back with my findings. Given that the LP box sold out in presale, and the CD box might also be sold out by now, the “Rage In Eden” BSOG may be a given. I’d like to hear what Steven Wilson could do with the thin, emaciated “Quartet” sound! I’d really like to hear him take some extreme liberties with that one [like outputting Currie’s synth tracks through Marshall amps and running them through stomp boxes before recording the output…] and I’d definitely pay well for the privilege. Anything to make them less pathetically meek!
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Truly looking forward to your 5.1 Vienna review, Monk. YES, may there be a “Rage in Eden”, Deluxe 5.1 Wilson mix too… and YES he also gets my blessing to work his magic on Quartet. I’ve long felt the tracks, “Mine For Life” & “When The Scream Subsides” are standouts in their own right!! Thanks for finding time to fix up your rears, may it all be worth it! :-)
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Same. I’m listening to the 5.1 now, and I really like it. New Europeans and Private Lives are flying around the room – sounds amazing to me!
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Christopher Merritt – Watch this space…!
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